Only I am Venerable

From his spot in the crowd, Qin Li also spotted some disciples from Profound Island. Their strength wasn’t particularly impressive; clearly, their families had sent them to investigate after hearing the news. But he could foresee that before long, this place would become the single most captivating location on the entire Celestial Essence Continent!

At that time, Martial Artists of every realm, no matter how powerful, would be unable to resist coming here to investigate!

As for Qin Li, he didn’t care what kind of experts came to probe the secrets of the Divine Temple. Jiang Heng had said the key to the Divine Temple was related to the Ancient Map. Of the eight pieces of this map, four were already in his possession, with a high chance of obtaining a fifth.

Therefore, as long as he made no move, no one would be able to truly open the Temple Gate of the Ancient Divine Temple!

Besides, Qin Li knew that even if he gathered all his current strength, it wouldn’t be nearly enough to confront a Sect from the Land of the Far West. If they discovered he held the Ancient Map and tried to take it by force, his only option would be to run. There was no other way.

’My strength... is still a bit too weak.’

As this thought crossed Qin Li’s mind, his gaze gradually firmed. He was still young; he still had time. As for what changes the Divine Temple’s appearance would bring to the world, that was not his concern.

At this point, most of the crowd seemed to realize that nothing good would come from lingering. People began to disperse. Only a few Martial Fools, captivated by the flashes of insight they had just experienced, remained.

As for the old man who had died on the steps, no one dared to touch his body, let alone approach it.

The lean old man and his three junior brothers saw Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu leave. They exchanged a look and followed after them.

From the very beginning, the lean old man had felt that the couple, Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu, looked familiar, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen them before. Just a moment ago, as the other elder knelt on the Divine Temple’s steps, a flash of inspiration struck the lean old man’s mind as if a lock had suddenly clicked open.

In his mind, the images of Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu gradually overlapped with those of the sallow-faced young man and the pretty village girl.

A Disguise Skill!

The lean old man understood instantly. The two people who had overheard his conversation that day were this young man and the woman beside him—the same ones who had appeared before them and saved a girl from the Hongyan Sect, a Sect from some Mysterious Land!

After this realization, the lean old man observed Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu’s eyes for a while longer, growing more certain of his guess. At the same time, a sense of unease grew in his heart.

This young couple was clearly no ordinary pair. If they truly knew about the Ancient Map and its possible connection to the Divine Temple, and then returned to their Sect to spread the word, the consequences for him and his brothers would be fatal!

The lean old man himself was at the Celestial Venerable realm! As for his three junior brothers, the weakest was at the Celestial Embracing Realm, while the other two were a Human Venerable and an Earth Venerable.

If they surrounded and killed this young couple, their chances of success were high!

Therefore, seeing Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu depart, the four of them trailed behind.

Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu acted as if they hadn’t noticed a thing, leisurely enjoying the scenery on their way back. As they neared Yellow Sand City, they stopped in front of a very secluded mountain forest.

Qin Li called out behind him, "My friends, you’ve been following me for quite a while. Is there something you need?"

The lean old man and his three junior brothers revealed themselves. He looked at Qin Li with a complex expression and said slowly, "You and your wife are truly more than meets the eye. You were the couple in the restaurant in Yellow Sand City that day, weren’t you?"

Qin Li smiled faintly and, without denying it, retorted, "And what if we were?"

The square-faced middle-aged man in yellow martial attire shouted, "You scoundrels! It’s good you admit it! You dared to eavesdrop on our conversation! We brothers have come today to kill you!"

The square-faced man had been stewing over this for days, his belly full of anger with no outlet. Seeing Qin Li’s tacit admission, he was overcome with shame and rage, finally unable to hold back.

Qin Li chuckled, unfazed. "You people are truly unreasonable. It’s not like you own the restaurant. A restaurant is a public place that welcomes guests from all over. You were speaking so loudly it was hard *not* to hear you. Are you saying we deserve to die just for hearing your conversation?"

The square-faced man sneered, "That’s right! If you heard us, you die! No need to cry foul. Just accept your bad luck!"

With that, he drew the Treasure Sword from his back. His aura erupted, and the very air around them seemed to freeze.

"Die!"

The square-faced man roared as a streak of Sword Qi slashed toward Qin Li. He intended to kill him with a single strike!

"Hmph!" Shangguan Shiyu snorted coldly. Originally, she had felt a certain aversion to things like killing for treasure. After all, the education she had received and the environment she had grown up in had shaped her into a very kind-hearted girl.

In her upbringing, killing for treasure was something only villains did. Shangguan Shiyu could see how much Qin Li desired the Ancient Map these four held. Although he never said anything, deep down, she didn’t fully approve.

She would have felt much better if they had bought or traded for it. But she never imagined that their opponents would try to kill them simply for overhearing a conversation.

’Is this what they call the Martial World?’

Shangguan Shiyu couldn’t help but feel deeply disappointed. Facing the vicious sword strike, she neither dodged nor retreated. Without even drawing her Blood Jade Sword, she met the square-faced man empty-handed.

The square-faced man had originally intended to kill Qin Li first. After all, Shangguan Shiyu looked as ethereal as a fairy, and her nation-toppling beauty made it difficult to strike. ’That despicable man is hiding behind a woman, and this woman is so eager to die...’ The square-faced man’s heart hardened, and he shouted coldly.

"You’re asking for death, so don’t blame me!" A blinding white Sword Qi erupted from his blade. The Sword Qi seemed solid as it stabbed directly at Shangguan Shiyu’s throat.

Shangguan Shiyu’s figure suddenly accelerated. The square-faced man’s vision blurred, and he completely lost sight of her.

At the same time, he heard his senior brother cry out in alarm. Just as he was about to react, he felt a massive force strike his back, instantly obliterating all the meridians in his body!

With a strangled cry, the square-faced man spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed, dead on the ground!

"Ah!"

The lean old man let out a furious roar. "You killed my junior brother! Demoness, I’ll kill you!"

"Enough nonsense!" Shangguan Shiyu finally understood why Qin Li had allowed these men to follow them all this way. She also finally understood what the true Martial World was all about.

All that talk of honor and righteous chivalry... those shining qualities could only be found in a rare few. The vast majority were just like these men.

Vicious and cruel! Willing to kill someone just for overhearing a few words! This was the real Martial World! This was the treacherous Martial World!

Facing the lean old man, a Celestial Venerable, Shangguan Shiyu did not let her guard down. Her Blood Jade Sword left its sheath, sending a streak of blood-red Sword Qi slashing toward him!

The lean old man was shocked. He hadn’t expected this woman to be so difficult to handle. He had thought he could capture her with ease. But as the saying goes, it only takes one move to know a master’s skill. Facing this stunningly beautiful woman, he felt an immense pressure!

’These two are indeed no ordinary people!’

Alarm bells rang in the lean old man’s heart. A blazing light appeared on his Treasure Sword as he slashed at Shangguan Shiyu.

Shangguan Shiyu dodged aside. Her Blood Jade Sword suddenly transformed into a myriad of blood-red lights, instantly enveloping the lean old man. She had unleashed a master stroke from her Drifting Sword Technique, creating a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

But hidden behind this beauty was the hand of the Death God!

BOOM!

The lean old man used all his strength to block the strike, resulting in a deafening explosion.

The force of the impact snapped the surrounding trees and shattered the ground, creating wide, spiderweb-like cracks.

This immense power also sent the lean old man staggering backward.

In contrast, Shangguan Shiyu stood her ground, completely unmoved. She looked at him with contempt, then pointed her Blood Jade Sword at him and uttered a single, soft word: "Die!"

A colossal, blood-red sword suddenly materialized before the lean old man. It was wreathed in roaring flames that radiated an astonishing heat.

"Transforming Illusion into Reality!"

This was power far beyond what a mere combat skill could produce!

The lean old man’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had heard of such an attack technique but had never witnessed it. He never thought he would get to experience it firsthand in his lifetime.

’Unfortunately, the price... is death!’

The thought had barely formed when the blood-red greatsword reached him. The lean old man opened his mouth to scream, but he had no chance!

His head was severed by the blade. His wide, staring eyes tumbled with it as it rolled across the ground, coming to a stop far away. He died with his eyes wide open in disbelief!

A peerless beauty, like a Nine Heavens Fairy, had killed two men in an instant. Even Qin Li was a little stunned. He thought to himself, ’The gentle and quiet Shangguan Shiyu I know seems to have suddenly become a different person.’

The two remaining men in yellow were so shocked by the scene that they forgot to flee.

At that moment, Shangguan Shiyu seemed to snap back to her senses. Gazing at the carnage she had wrought, her stomach churned, and she couldn’t help but turn her face away.

Qin Li fixed his eyes on the two men in yellow. He unleashed an immense, unparalleled wave of Spiritual Power and demanded, "Where is the map?"